ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—A British judge investigating UK troops’ involvement in civilian deaths during the war in Iraq has condemned four soldiers who forced an Iraqi boy into a canal and let him drown. The British Ministry of Defence has issued an apology.
Ahmad Jabbar Kareem Ali was 15 years old when he was detained by British troops on suspicion of looting in Basra in May 2003.
He was “aggressively manhandled and assaulted” on his arrest, former high court judge Sir George Newman found.
After his arrest, Ahmad was taken by the British soldiers to a canal and forced to enter the water “at gunpoint” along with three other suspected looters, according to testimony from Ayad Salim Hanoon, one of the others detained.
Ahmad drowned in the canal while the soldiers watched without coming to his aid after he became distressed.
“His death ensued because he was forced by the soldiers to enter the canal, where, in the presence of the soldiers, he was seen to be in difficulty, and to go under water,” reads Newman’s report who said that forcing the teenager into the water was unlawful and he should have been rescued when it became clear he was drowning.
The four soldiers were tried and acquitted on manslaughter charges in 2006. They were not named in Justice Newman’s report.
“This was a grave incident for which we are extremely sorry,” said a Ministry of Defence spokesperson. “We are committed to investigating allegations of wrongdoing by UK forces and will use Sir George’s findings to learn lessons to help ensure nothing like this happens again.”
Justice Newman’s report is part of the Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI) looking into accusations of British troop involvement in Iraqi deaths during the war.
Witnesses testifying before the IFI are able to give evidence anonymously and cannot be prosecuted or sued as a result of the evidence they give.
Ahmad Jabbar Kareem Ali was 15 years old when he was detained by British troops on suspicion of looting in Basra in May 2003.
He was “aggressively manhandled and assaulted” on his arrest, former high court judge Sir George Newman found.
After his arrest, Ahmad was taken by the British soldiers to a canal and forced to enter the water “at gunpoint” along with three other suspected looters, according to testimony from Ayad Salim Hanoon, one of the others detained.
Ahmad drowned in the canal while the soldiers watched without coming to his aid after he became distressed.
“His death ensued because he was forced by the soldiers to enter the canal, where, in the presence of the soldiers, he was seen to be in difficulty, and to go under water,” reads Newman’s report who said that forcing the teenager into the water was unlawful and he should have been rescued when it became clear he was drowning.
The four soldiers were tried and acquitted on manslaughter charges in 2006. They were not named in Justice Newman’s report.
“This was a grave incident for which we are extremely sorry,” said a Ministry of Defence spokesperson. “We are committed to investigating allegations of wrongdoing by UK forces and will use Sir George’s findings to learn lessons to help ensure nothing like this happens again.”
Justice Newman’s report is part of the Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI) looking into accusations of British troop involvement in Iraqi deaths during the war.
Witnesses testifying before the IFI are able to give evidence anonymously and cannot be prosecuted or sued as a result of the evidence they give.
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